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Teenage airline boss outlines plans
The 19-year-old founder of start-up carrier Alpha One Airways plans an initial three routes from the Isle of Man.
The airline is to use two 18-seat Jetstream 31 aircraft with £99 flights starting from Southampton on November 7, as previously reported by TravelMole.
Services from the Isle of Man to Blackpool and Edinburgh are to be added later in November by the airline started by Martin Halstead.
Registered on the Isle of Man, Alpha One will operate under the Air Operator’s Certificate of established regional airline Love Air.
Halstead orginally announced plans for an air link between Oxford and Cambridge but decided to focus on the Isle of Man when it became evident that route opportunities existed.
He said: “We don’t intend to compete with any airline but complement existing, established services. We may revisit the Cambridge to Oxford route sometime next year.
“Age is just a number. I plan to bring an innovative 21st century approach to regional aviation and I also have an older, experienced team to call on.”
Alpha One has recruited 21 staff including 12 pilots and will operate a ticketless service with free in-flight refreshments. The airline aims to carry 75,000 passengers in its first year.
Halstead added: “Fast turnarounds, high punctuality, reliability and good service are our aim. We are a fresh, energetic new entrant and we want to put a bit of fun back into flying.”
Halstead gained his air transport licence aged 18 and previously set up a flight simulation software venture for trainee pilots.
Report by Phil Davies
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